ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY – APRIL 12: Jaron Ennis celebrates his win over Eimantas Stanionis to capture the IBF, WBA and Ring Magazine welterweight titles at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall on April 12, 2025 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images)
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Highlights
- Jaron “Boots” Ennis scored a dominant first-round TKO win over Uisma Lima but did little to silence critics questioning his level of opposition.
- Despite his undeniable power and speed, Ennis continues to face scrutiny for not fighting elite names like Vergil Ortiz Jr. or Xander Zayas.
- Promoter Eddie Hearn remains focused on securing a title shot at 154 pounds, with Abass Baraou or a future clash with Ortiz looking most likely.
Jaron “Boots” Ennis did what he was expected to do. He blew Uisma Lima away via first-round TKO. This was no contest and quite frankly, it did nothing to dispel the words of critics who insist Ennis hasn’t faced real competition.
Here is a look at the finish.
Lima looked overmatched from the beginning. He initially found himself in trouble when he threw a wild left hook. It landed, but Boots was dipping to his right to throw a punishing, sweeping right hooker cut.
Unfortunately for Lima, Ennis’ punch landed with far more force and it resulted in a knockdown.
The commentary was over the top for the fight while it lasted. Every time Ennis did anything, Sergio Mora and Todd Grisham seemed to go out of their way to accentuate the moment.
If you listen to the first clip, you can hear Grisham say, “maybe he is the best fighter we’ve ever seen.” I usually wouldn’t bother adding something like to my post-fight report, but for some reason it was a bit egregious in this fight. I’m not the only one who noticed. Veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael posted this after the fight.
I’m not one of those people who devalues Ennis’ talent. It’s clear he’s fast and a hard puncher. His defense leaves a lot to be desired, but there is no question he is a gifted fighter with a crowd-pleasing style.
Ennis’ reputation has taken a hit over the past year. He has been criticized because of the matchmaking in his fights. Many have questioned his willingness to take on the top competition like Vergil Ortiz Jr., Xander Zayas and others.
After he destroyed Lima, Ennis and his promoter Eddie Hearn took the time to address the future and to show their willingness to take on all callers.
Hearn is the best promoter in the sport when it comes to being an effective mouthpiece for his fighters. Ennis needs it. At this point in his career, he’s not great at selling himself. That’s Hearn’s job and he has done a great job.
That said, there was nothing about this fight that will stop anyone from criticizing Boots. The fight with Lima looked like a mismatch on paper and in the ring it was even worse than expected.
If nothing else, we know Ennis should be open and willing to fight all of the 154-pound champions. WBO champion Xander Zayas, WBC champion Sebastian Fundora, IBF champion Bahkram Murtzaliev and WBA titleholder Abass Baraou are all in play.
I’d bet on Ennis fighting Baraou next, even before a clash with Ortiz. Boots will likely be favored to beat Baraou and if he wins, he’ll have a world title to sweeten the pot ahead of a clash with Ortiz.
Ortiz is facing veteran Erickson Lubin on November 8. It’s a fight Ortiz should win, but it should be a far stiffer test than Lima posed to Boots. Lubin is a powerful, crafty and more proven veteran.
The only losses of Lubin’s career came against Fundora and Jermell Charlo. If Ortiz beats Lubin, it wouldn’t shock me to see him and Ennis on a Turki Alalshikh card that features Matchroom and Golden Boy fighters. Boots vs. Baraou and Ortiz vs. a ranked WBA contender.
If they both win, they fight for the WBA title on a card in the second or third quarter of 2026. As for now, Ennis remains undefeated, but still with a ton to prove in the eyes of his critics–and quite frankly, anyone in the industry in search of the truth.
